2017 Certification Summit Recap

This past November, the CWA held its annual Certification Summit at the Petzl Technical Institute in Salt Lake City, UT. The Cert Summit started in 2014, in partnership with Petzl, to provide professional development opportunities for individuals working in the indoor climbing industry.

The Petzl Technical Institute offers a prime spot to deliver these certification courses. Featuring a 55-foot tall climbing wall with multi-pitch capability, over 5,000 sq/ft of exposed structure climbing, access to a full array of rope access equipment, and dedicated classroom space, the PTI is a perfect setting for hands-on learning.

We started the week with the CWA Work-at-Height Certification for Qualified Persons. This 3-day training combines instruction in administrative requirements, specialized equipment, practical techniques, and procedures for work-at-height in a climbing facility. All participants walked away with directly applicable knowledge to help manage their work-at-height needs.

Lastly, the CWA administered the 1.5 day-long Climbing Wall Instructor Provider certification. The CWI certification has quickly become a well-known path for professional development within the indoor climbing industry. Having trained over 1,500 climbing wall instructors through a network of 120 providers around the country, the program seeks to equip front-line staff with the knowledge to teach basic climbing skills to new customers, and inform them of the inherent risks of the sport. At this year’s Cert Summit, we successfully added 12 new providers to our growing pool.

All in all, the 2017 Cert Summit was a huge success and we are proud to partner with Petzl to deliver these trainings. Both the Climbing Wall Instructor Provider and Work-at-Height Certifications will be offered at the Climbing Wall Summit in May. Registration opens in early January!